Dublin: More Housing, No; Pedestrian Friendly Retail, Yes

Dublin City is entertaining a proposal to construct more blocks of dense housing on the eastern side on Tassajara Road, opposite Emerald Glen Park, just north of Dublin Blvd. So far this land is supposed to be for pedestrian-friendly retail and restaurants.
It would simply be good and desirable by all Dublin residents if the land is left alone to be used for retail as originally planned. Dublin, after all, has a lot of big-box retail and now an enormous amount of housing for its size. Modern pedestrian-friendly retail would be an awesome, welcome addition. (Another story for another day – if the parcel can be used for the new High School). To understand what’s going on – the pink color below is the originally planned retail-oriented area:

Existing Land Use

And see, below, the pink area replaced with housing. So the new proposed plan is to instead construct more dense housing. Really? ?(And amongst other issues, where would kids from this new development go to school? – there is some serious thinking required here on part of the City Council and the School District).

Proposed Land Use

A large retail area, walkable from across the Emerald Glen Park, Waterford, Sorrento, The Villas would be pretty cool – it’s a need, it’s a desire, both for the city’s residents, and its image.
Pictures above, worth a thousand words, are telling a different story that is evolving instead.
Granted a relatively much smaller retail is still part of the proposed plan – with two Hotels and a small Cinema. But it’s unacceptably small. There is a large well-earning population around that can help the retail sustain and flourish. There is no reason to dilute or change the existing Land Use Plan. And every reason for Dublin residents to oppose this plan. There is a petition to make the voice heard, that can be signed here. The Dublin city staff report on the item is available at http://bit.ly/2hEw92v on the city website (source of the pictures above).

Dublin is growing fast, simply because it has more to offer. Great geography, parks, diverse, high income population, and a vibrant retail. It’s leadership is not able to keep pace with what it should take to manage a growing city and it’s aspirations. The recall is a warning to current as well as future leaders to watch out.
Mr. Abe Gupta seems dynamic, but has shown himself to be over ambitious. He is relatively new to the city council, someone who should have brought in some restraint in a council of old timers who probably don’t get it. But he is going even farther than them in adding more ugly housing. His support for the study for At Dublin project is taking it too far. We all know that these studies only lead to the next step, and then next step. He has reneged on his promises, and 5800 signatures should not be a big deal. Even if he is not recalled eventually, Mr. Gupta, residents have hope in you, and you need to pick sides. Are you with healthy growth that makes Dubliners proud of Dublin, or cause irreversible harm? This piece of land next to freeway on Tassajara Road is the last one to make and show Dublin as a fun place. You turn it into mostly a high density residential blob, and much will be lost. There are enough people in Dublin now (or will be more than enough with all new developments in progress) to make success out of whatever retail, fun developments come to this area. Please show us some grit, and introduce a plan for zero new housing at At Dublin.